Now More Than Ever, We Need Better Arctic Science

This decision is disappointing — especially considering that it was just a year ago that the U.S. Geological Survey released a report outlining significant gaps in science that must be addressed to make no-regrets choices about oil and gas development in the Arctic. Many of those gaps have yet to be filled.

How can federal agencies make informed decisions about future lease sales or exploration drilling without a better understanding of the Arctic ecosystem?

For instance, the Interior Department has pledged to shift to a more targeted approach to any future Arctic lease sales and to exclude certain areas of the Arctic Ocean from the new leasing program.

In addition, the Interior Department scheduled the potential new Arctic lease sales toward the end of the five-year program, which gives the agency time to adopt meaningful conservation measures in the region. But it’s absolutely imperative that the Interior Department use that time wisely.

Before deciding whether to proceed with any new lease sales, the agency must:

Develop and implement a comprehensive science and monitoring program;

Identify and protect additional important ecological and subsistence areas; and

As the agency decides whether and under what conditions to hold future Arctic lease sales, it should consider only those areas where scientific and other evidence shows that oil and gas activities can be conducted without harming the ecosystem or opportunities for subsistence.

If we want to maintain a healthy, intact and functioning Arctic ecosystem, the Interior Department must commit to understanding and protecting this vulnerable region.

Andrew Hartsig is the director of Ocean Conservancy’s Arctic Program. He lives and works in Anchorage, Alaska. In a bid to put off taking the bar exam after law school, he paddled a sea kayak from Bellingham, Washington to Juneau, Alaska in the summer of 2005. [Ed. note: Fortunately, he made it back safely and passed with flying colors.]